title: Parkinson's disease.
abstract: In advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), the emergence of symptoms refractory to conventional therapy poses therapeutic challenges. The success of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of PD have raised interest in noninvasive brain stimulation as an alternative therapeutic tool. The rationale for its use draws from the concept that reversing abnormalities in brain activity and physiology thought to cause the clinical deficits may restore normal functioning. Currently the best evidence in support of this concept comes from DBS, which improves motor deficits, and modulates brain activity and motor cortex physiology, although whether a causal interaction exists remains largely undetermined. Most trials of noninvasive brain stimulation in PD have applied repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), targeting the motor cortex. Current studies suggest a possible therapeutic potential for rTMS and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), but clinical effects so far have been small and negligible with regard to functional independence and quality of life. Approaches to potentiate the efficacy of rTMS include increasing stimulation intensity and novel stimulation parameters that derive their rationale from studies on brain physiology. These novel parameters are intended to simulate normal firing patterns or to act on the hypothesized role of oscillatory activity in the motor cortex and basal ganglia with regard to motor control and its contribution to the pathogenesis of motor disorders. Noninvasive brain stimulation studies will enhance our understanding of PD pathophysiology and might provide further evidence for potential therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: David.Benninger@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Benninger
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Parkinson’s disease; neurophysiology; noninvasive brain stimulation; plasticity; repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS); therapeutic study; transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)